POLITICAL NEWS.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 664, 15 November 1909, Page 8

POLITICAL NEWS.

&^i?' THE {SESSION., ; . •"'v V :,S;p;r;^^ S^.':--S : i:'- iThV;sessioh .has arid a half weeks. vj\::i'ft' a P? general expectation, 1 it. is to Christmas Evbj' it: has ..five ; . and middle 'of .the ||f session ;has; :^ 'S- :^?^^^"%^^-^^'v^, ' n^: - been ; possedi' 'two vßiß.varid;'the; rState: Guaranteed v^;},;;;gAdvahipes;3Bill-Thave.!been:po.t .partly -through' 4:5 wi: Land,. Bill has .-been J-.].;>: ; :jy'read. : a"secondta'me/cPioforma,' and, the FiriariV:■•>'■'vV. cialj.Statement';has been '! brought down.' -''The SSj.-S'logislatiye .propofKOs/set out in the.Governor's Speech;'and the jßixlger, are '[sufficient .to keep v : ;c< 'busy•. for'at least ; five months, and ■fyp^ v' !;it expected.l that ■.Parliament: will, sit ;?,[; ~.;muoh;longer;than five weeks. When Sir Joseph ; 3-';;:;M-' Ward.was'interyiewed-'in Christchurch oh FriJi,■!•.!.;';■; message) ■';.to, express. 'any; opinion' as to ■ the' probable; length\df; the' present session; '■:-" "Mem-v-^lii-VP'? B ".-*? *ent;s'd far as to say, '"are all, worki,'.:vVv.:.:;ißg:::.^^ proposals, to: be .'dealt-with by '■ Parof 'attempting: i'Sft:.V .t° force: things,;because I recognise that, there ; i*r':4 ; thai? find .that at -the ,IS'&>' : '', e ! I, J; °.J the "> session'-., a /number of ■: the - : pr'opo'saU '^Sif ■:■>■■ submitted; have; become jlaw.", -'-The'' : last ■ state'appears!' to'indicate"that tire-Goverrinient @:yi;^^,'"^ ; W& '■>■■V*?grp&tn<*- :*; this; V session,.;'-.; and ■ \''tho;';',general l^gibeTiof^measures'^wilL'be'sacrificed. V-itf:'':!:Jr:'fc-::S''^'™n^9';:j?*£t* Debate. • I'"'. •■■', ©#$£ ■' Statement ■■ will. ffiqii-V -toromeirice fo-mbrrowj j and in ordinary crrimm;y^^,gjmoßs r nright:'be;eaplßctxd to last a fortnight. '.'' : ':'::-Si::'^?''p" T < sn^nVgi 'gnrrender. on the. question of '5:'.-.' ;-:'■ Jan.4 w tsadre,.;however;' has': caused some mem-!?V/r'':s^^™';,*"^l^-'a'-'™»cn?,*otter.Uife":f6r the ::v;;::iy.:"'d*baw.;-,v.:The',freeholders !:of;-the .Opposition :/.;'';• sfl5 fl :riot likely td.quarrel.with these'concessions Ztii"; 'l:*Kinoiple',:;;Though'the. hampered freehold sy;/ ; i«!:^ph; ] :Mfiered;by.:,the:;Gow is not all ranch gained Sfc"^si™' chhno «'i>f > Land Bill v being passed will !#yiA 1 .time is '■Z'S; -NET'r ll '-'"ra**"bn:?;the ; ;Financial' Statement. side-some : s'|^]W nm K^are:,saidftto3be: very sore at.the slC:.sjj s '*??JJde '.which ;'the-Government has -taken up : KfeSi? 11 :ithe qnestibn.v -Thef'leaseholders :will not, it : y;*/; I ;:ra;;3aid,;;disonss;.the 'Statement: at 'any .length,' ; x-;;.j(,vbeean^,they^wT]l;:wish : ;:to -avoid discussing, its ;la M ; Propo3als,;and..nb : 6ne otf the Government' 8 -."s™'-:°?-. anxkius :to .discuss the nro'nosed ; lW|fcft^* a^i«,- tax a t 'on- ! '"Jt:'is''snggested.: ther©: iS^^^V' :t * at '.-M'' : "^^ ;on -^' n «-' K nanoial State:???".''^,?'fc-' close.in a couple of i'^i%i*7?; a * ( ' ™st ,the full discussion of the important tho Budget will be : '.i^n^ : mearf»^..i;|Bnre3. areiprp-oght down.('i'::■■-;. .'.'. l : .'■^'•'■' '^~irt : ly; VfMl:'i-i Mgislation'in-View/-.'-."' '/ ' ; ' are not -the."debate on', the; Budget -once ■ there^is'enough mate-' '■ itftS?.? 1 ?? 111^?! 16 :Mmprehensiye';:statement to keep' s^PW^%.:a ;: fort night''. ; The Estimates ' fei;f' JW P 6, {subjected-; to'; speoial. scrutiny' this year, s . te^gSin^vrewi^fr'the^Government's l -retrenchment ;;^\s;»orloy,\ahd; ; th'ey •cah::hardly;';be' l dealt:'with in ! - i>»;7]ess;vthan:,a;:week^;':The : .l)teadnought gift and : ;"Rf'Pv.-">an ;;have;rye't:;,tb';;be;..debated,"the -Hbsjiitals aWi'frJP^ACharrtable'; In3titri!tioris.vßill and- State , 3«iK.i"S ,lafa ?'» e d /Advances "Bill."have' to oomnlete i 1 hl the House.'arid'the Ship:?:rl'*.pttg;:andvSeamen's:BillSarid.' Land. Settlement is;v;^ f; :Knance:Blll' 3 hav^not>yetvbeeri' : All ; 'U ; S )'*?§? "..matters, i and. ..debates "incidental to ' the ' :.:>!:.ff'iTbTOpe: i bisin^.'':6f--the; House. ..together with • :the;Police Corii-' , ' shonld be : '30k'. .'whole ;or greater part . also ; to be fJi'r";'; ; ™lt;^with'.i'/gueli,' v cdntehtion's ■:. and". important S%;V; nmtters as thejoiomised Land Bill, the Native ,*;,:,;. ,Land : 'BUl,;.'the-licensing.nropbsals, th"# Gam ',:', ■:-■ ■■ BiTl.vand-. the .Internal 'Defence; and National' ;v:V;r^;'-'A^ / wties;:Billi'-';KSho'nld Parliament prorogue ' -' vlirwtmas,': it' 'that most £*£ ;;;pfnthese^Bills;.;afteribeirig circulated' aiidl:pos-' ;y?:y ; i:;«bly,'snbiected 4b,;a ::second reading, will be. • -if ."-.-'

, m fyid, of the Session: .(, ~1 Hardly any members expect that Parliament will sit after Christmas An adjournment might be taken for a fortnight, to cover the mam holiday season, but it would be a very unpopular course. In"January tho holiday feeling is still in tho blood whero townspeople are concerned, and a number of tho country members , will be occupied with harvesting. The Government; will be largely influenced by the feelmg of members, although if it should decide to continue the session into the new year mem--1 ' hers would have to attend or forfeit > the prci , scribed fine of £2 a day for e"ery day over the first fortnight's absence, sickness being tho only , ground of exemption from this penalty. The < goueral opinion amongst members is, however, thjt after a tremendous "slaughter of the innocents" the House will close its doors a day or two before Christmas. In th,e most fnvour- . " able circumstances it is hardly possible that More than one-tturd of the measures which have been announced by the Government could be passed into legislation by that time. It is claimed by the Opposition members that the Government has itself to blame for the small accomplishment of the first half of tho session. The Opposition has been careful to give no op- , portumty to the allegation of obstructing business i z , Licensing Proposals, The opinion gains ground among members of Parliament that licensing legislation to incorporate tho' agreed to between representatives of the Mw Zealand Alliance , and the brewers will not be passed this session. Half the session has presumably gone, u and the heavy programme of important mcas- i urea laid down for it has as yet scarcely been ' touched. A large v number of members aro not disposed to accept' without discussion terms agreed to by tho representatives of two «treme sections, which base the vast body -of moderate opinion—which has numerous representatives in tho House—quito out of account It is thought that Parliament will wish to consider tho wholo question of licensing legislation l for, itself, and that time will 'probably not suffice for that to be done this session. If legislation is not passed this session, it is expected that tho agreement which has been arrived at between the extreme parties will lapse. Kiwitea County Validation BUI. Tho Kiwitea County Validation Bill, introduced by Ml. Guthrie, is designed to validate certain acts of tho Kiwitea County Council in respect of the applications of " thirds," tho non-collection of certain special lates, and payment of interest on certain special loans